John Boehner says Congress will sue Obama to enforce laws

Washington United States House of Representatives Speaker
John Boehner
said the chamber will sue the
Obama
’s administration over what the speaker called a pattern of ignoring parts of federal laws the president disapproves of.

“The president is not faithfully executing the laws of our country," ­Mr Boehner said. “Standing up and fighting for this is in the best long-term interest of the Congress."

He said Mr Obama took unilateral action in areas such as immigration.

Republicans have also objected to waivers on laws, including on healthcare and education.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest dismissed Mr Boehner’s plan, saying it amounted to “a taxpayer-funded lawsuit against the president of the United States for doing his job."

Related Quotes

Company Profile

Mr Earnest said Mr Obama would continue to take action where he has authority as Republicans in the house have refused to take up legislation on matters such as immigration.

The administration, in 2013, waived penalties for people whose healthcare plans were cancelled because they didn’t meet Obamacare rules to carry insurance. It has also eased rules on deportation, didn’t aggressively enforce laws against marijuana possession and gave states waivers from education achievement penalties if they adopted approved changes.

The house can sue for enforcement of laws, although individual members can’t. Republicans have majority control of the house and earlier this year passed legislation that would affirm Congress’s right to sue and speed up such lawsuits.